Editorial | Hong Kong’s struggling SMEs pin their hopes on more support from John Lee
- Wide-ranging district forum with the public has underlined how Hong Kong leader must better address challenges ahead
With the pandemic largely a distant memory and social order restored, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu announced that now was the best time to develop the economy and livelihoods.
Yet such a rosy picture received a reality check when people aired their grievances and concerns at a district consultation session ahead of the coming midterm policy speech by Lee.
From rebooting tourism to rescuing struggling businesses, the Hong Kong leader must better address the challenges ahead.
Having engaged different sectors behind closed doors for more than a month, Lee must have a good grasp of their immediate and long-term issues of concern.
The scope of the district forum on Sunday was wide-ranging and included housing, transport, innovation and technology, financial services development, tourism, cultural and creative industries, education and poverty alleviation. It underlined how difficulties ahead must not be underestimated.
This is especially important because there appear to be considerable differences between economic indicators and how people really feel.
Officially, the city’s economy reported a moderate growth of 3.3 per cent year on year in the second quarter, renewing government confidence in meeting its full-year growth forecast of between 2.5 per cent and 3.5 per cent.